Formalist poets

2nd Essay: Responding to Poetry Poetry mainly describes love, loss, and regret. However, every writer adds his or her own twist. For example, “Last Night” by Sharon Olds and “Cherrylog Road” by James Dickey deals with the same theme but are two different pieces of writing. They explore the theme of forbidden love and use imagery to show the lust between the two characters. In this essay I will compare and contrast the two poems by presenting different examples. Titles can say a lot about a…

Samuel Coleridge used figurative language and unorthodox verse structure to describe the tragic, lesson-filled past of a sailor and portray literary elements of Romanticism and its ideals. By using a non-traditional approach to verse structure, it shows Coleridge's choice to not compromise the meaning and thought process of each stanza by following a set pattern. This demonstrates the versatility and story-like dynamic of the poem making it all the more captivating to the reader. Through his use…

Metaphor and Symbolism in Langston Hughes’s My People My people is one of Langston Hughes’ poems which is about working class black African American people. In this poem, he compared the beauty of nature to the beauty of his people. My people is a very short poem, built in three stanzas which consist of two lines in each stanza. This poem was written in simple language, therefore, the readers can easily understand what he is trying to convey. I believe, beneath its simple words, this poem…

In our world, there is a common misconception that everything is possible in the United States. For example, people often image a life with a spouse, home, and white picket fence. However, in reality, there is a huge difference between this common misconception that everyone can achieve this picture-perfect life and what life often entails for many. In fact, Gwendolyn Brooks’ “Kitchenette Building,” Langston Hughes’ “Let America Be America Again,” and William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” all…

A Feminist Perspective of Metaphysical Conceit, Action, and Defense of a Woman’s Virtue in John Donne’s Song In his poem Song, John Donne uses metaphysical conceits, persuades his readers, and defends his negative view a woman’s virtue. A woman’s virtue is proven her moral standards in society. Song was written during the Renaissance era, a time in which men used Petrarchan values to place emphasis on their appreciation of women. John Donne’s poem rejects the Petrarchan ideology, and forces…

Being an editor for my publication Unnamed Trademarked Patent Pending has its up and its downs but writing an anthology for Gwendolyn Brookes, Sherman Alexie, Lucille Clifton, Sylvia Plath and Gary Soto was eye opening. These are some of the best poets that I have had the opportunity to read and appreciate in my lifetime. The diversity among the bunch was very fulfilling, from poetry about racial tension, native American culture, women empowerment, depression to young love. Initially the poems…

“The Flea” by John Donne and “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell are two poems classified as carpe diem. Carpe diem is Latin phrase for “Seize the day”. Both speakers use the ideals of carpe diem to persuade the auditor to live in the moment. They do this by saying that the auditor is young and beautiful and that they are meant to be. Although both speakers try their best to persuade the auditor to have sex with them, the speaker in “To his coy mistress” impresses the auditor the best. In…

In this poem, Donne reveals that the man’s empowerment is what enables him to act on his desire. Donne writes “off with that girdle,” “off with that happy busk,” “off with those shoes.” The repetition of the phrase “off with” signifies the man’s dominance over the woman; he is not asking her to do something he is directing the woman. When Donne writes commands like “unpin” and “unlace” when the woman approaches and tells her to “license my roving hands” it is apparent that this dominance he…

Donne and Herbert, both religious poets often radical, clever, and unconventional, and thus not surprising both have been considered leaders of a “metaphysical” school of poetry. Their similarities result from a time where everyone was a religious something. The protestant faith brings about an attitude of humility towards God in both poets. Both poets discuss their relations with God through the use of poetic form. Subsequently, writing roughly round the same time and theologically (both were…

October Sky is a movie which states a true story happened to a boy. The high five principles are seen in the movie as the boy makes his journey to make is dream a reality. The high five principles are change is constant, learning is ongoing, focus on the journey, follow your heart and access your allies. These principles are important not just to the character in the movie but for every one on earth who make their journey into the depths of careers and jobs. Change is constant because today…